cons to travel nursing

[bwischer]

I've recently decided to do travel nursing in a couple years and after looking through some threads a see a lot of great things mentioned about travel nursing, but I was hoping to get some insight to the negative things you have noticed.

Ps, my husband and infant son will be traveling with me if that makes a difference.

Thank you!

[NedRN]

I'm sure you can find something bad to say about any job. In fact, that is one of the reason there are so many travelers!

[Anna S, RN]

Cons to traveling- you're always the "new" person- new pts, new docs, new computer system, new policies/procedures, etc. As soon as you start to get used to it, it's time to leave and start all over again as "new." Some reg staff are resentful, because they think you're making so much more than them.

Some units only have travelers because the units are so dysfunctional, they can't keep regular staff.

[wanderlust99]

Being treated like a new nurse or like you don't know what you're doing when in reality you know EXACTLY what you are doing!! Frustrating. Luckily not a frequent occurrence, but today this was quite frustrating for me.

Other negatives..

-never having a permanent home

-always having to move and pack

-more difficult to maintain certain relationships because you're always moving

-not seeing family/friends on a regular basis

-general hospital orientation..easy money but it does get old after awhile listening to the same crap

-keeping up with multiple state licenses

-my health insurance and retirement benefits are not as good as when I was staff

-tax season

-always the new person

-when you are in your last week of your current assignment and still haven't found another assignment. the stress.

-won't apply to you since you're family is coming with, but it can be lonely at times.

[bwischer]

Thanks for all the great feedback so far everyone. Very helpful :)

[trackhead, APRN]

-Your the new guy, and just because you don't use their lingo, doesn't mean you don't know what you're doing.

-Listening to another CEO go on and on about their mission and values, then work in another dumpy ER with ridiculous staffing ratios and dangerous work environments.

-Getting submitted without requesting it, and getting a call from an ER director out of the blue. Uhh, I never wanted to work at your facility, but gee, thanks.

-Can't call in sick, not that I ever do that, but still, you can't do it.

-Not knowing any coworkers names, doctors names, etc. Makes the job harder.

-******* in cups every three months, physicals every year, finding ACLS and TNCC classes on the road..........

Don't bother to start travelling if you don't have an A game in your specialty, if you're not efficient, and if you don't have thick skin. You'll need a bit of all of that.

That said, the pros outweight the cons, but you asked about the negatives.